Barge construction



March 14, 1939. H c -r 2,150,763

BARGE CONSTRUCT ION Filed April 20, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

BY WM; Wm

ATTORNEY.

March 14, 1939. H. c. ELLIOTT BARGE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 20, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS,

March 14, 1939. H. c. ELLIOTT BARGE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 20, 1936 3 h ets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

WWQ

ATTORNEY,

, Patented Mar. 14,1939

UNITED i STATES PATENT OFFICE Mississippi Valley Barge Line Company, St

Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Application April 20, 1936, Serial No. 75,310

Claim.

This invention relates to improvements .in the construction of barges. More particularly, the invention is directed to the provision of barges specifically suited to use in inland waterway and 5 Great Lakes transportation.

For many years bulk freight, such as coal, rock, wood and the like, has been transportedcheaply and conveniently in open scows over inland waterway routes. More recently manufacturers and shippers of freight in packages or freight of higher grades, also have desired to ship over; the inland water routes, but a number of different factors have tended to make such operations unprofitable, both to the carriers and to the ship- 16 pers.

The river carriers endeavoring to transport packaged freight are called upon to handle great varieties of substances including, for example,

barrels of soap, cement, and sugar, bales of paper,-

20 paper pulp, packages of foodstuffs, and even crated and uncrated machinery. It is essential, from the point of view of the shipper, that freight of this sort be protected from the weather during shipment. It is essential to the profitable 25 operation of the carrier's business that the freight be handled, that is, loaded and unloaded into the vessels, rapidly and conveniently at the terminals of the river routes or at the various way points intermediate the points of origin or 30 destination.

To meet the necessities more recently encountered, for handling a great variety of types of freight in relatively small sized lots, barges have been reduced in size and shape to facilitate unit 35 .hundling. River-rail terminals also have been built, and special freight handling equipment has been installed at many major river terminal points to speed up loading and unloading. Yet.

the barges themselves, by reason of their con- 40 struction and arrangement have constituted the bottle neck impeding the rapidity of freight handling essential to profitable operation, especially where less than barge-load shipments are being forwarded. It has not been expedient for the -45 river carriers to attempt the use of very small sized barges, that is, barges small enough to correspond in capacity to ordinary freight cars.

In river transportation, landing facilities are where a certain volume of freight was to be removed, the hatches would be lifted from the barge, usually by means of a crane, and placed somewhere on the river bank duringthe unloading operation. Each hatch was removed sepa- 5 rateiy, and the operation, as a whole, was ponderous, time-consuming, and very burdensome.

But the difficulty particularly has been the inconvenience and the great waste of time in loading and unloading during conditions of bad 10 weather. It has not been permissible for the river carriers topermit high grade freight to become wet under any circumstances. If a rain storm or a thunder shower would come up quickly, during the time that a barge was being unloaded, the goods under the hatch opening would be rained on before it would bepossible to move the crane around to the bank, pick up the hatch or hatches and place these back on the barge. In actual conditions of service, on'stormy days or days during which the weather was extremely unsettled, the hatches of the barge sometimes would have to be removed andreplaced as many as six times during the working day, to protect the freight during squally weather. Moreover, at the river terminals it has been the rigid rule to replace all of the hatches back on the barges during the lunch hour periods, as a precautionary measure to prevent damage to the goods in case it should begin to rain suddenly At the major terminal ports, furthermore, for example at the port of New Orleans, certain kinds of freight and freight for different destinations is handled at different stations in the port. It is not unusual for a fleet of barges at such a port area to make many different stops during a working day. Obviously, if it takes only ten or M- teen minutes at each place to make ready for the unloading operation, even so a great amount of valuable time is consumed in nonproductive ef- 40 ort.

The hatches which have been used in the past have been large and cumbersome, and aside from the difllculties encountered in removing and replacing, these operations have been dangerous. On windy days, particularly, great effort is required to keep the hatches from being buffeted about in the wind and sometimes as many as six men are required to hold a hatchv against the wind as it is being lowered into place. During so such conditions, if the hatch gets away, it is quite likely to throw some of the menfrom the barge or otherwise cause their injury. The hatch removing and replacing operations in the past have become recognized as very dangerous. s5

It is the object of the invention to provide barges suited specifically to the requirements of rapidity and safety of convenience in the'loading and unloading of barge-load or less than bargeload consignments of freight, of the type subject to damage from the weather.

Briefly stated, the barges of the present invention are characterized by a hull and a deckhouse, both of which elements are constructed to receive and carry freight during shipment. The deckhouses of the barges oi the invention are provided with permanent roofs at the portions adjacent the ends longitudinally. Roof sections, longitudinally rollable, cover the deckhouse transversely intermediate the permanent roof sections. Access to the deckhouse over the complete width thereof is accomplished rapidly and conveniently by rolling the hatch-like sections longitudinally over the permanent roof sections, until the area or zone of the barge from which freight is to be unloaded is open to crane-way access.

The novelty of the barges of the present invention further is characterized in the provision of a freight floor, within the deckhouse intermediate the hold portion and the deckhouse portion. This freight floor is comprised alternately of liftable sections and rollable sections. Access to the hold, after the freight consigmnent at any particular area has been removed from the deckhouse, is accomplished by lifting the liftable sections of freight house fioor at the desired area of entrance, placing these on adjacent rollable sections normally intermediate, then rolling the rollable sections together to expose the freight in the hold at the area desired. h

In operative use the barges constructed according to the present invention have been found hatches themselves are not subject to severe damage. Access for loading or unloading is provided as the fleet is approaching a terminal and the roof sections are replacedat leisure after the fleet has left the terminal. The opening and closing, in other words, does not depend upon the facility of a crane or any unusual manipulative requirements such as the conventional battening operation.

The moving roof structure, moreover, permits the working of the barges on days in which the weather is unsettled. If a sudden thunder shower comes up the roof sections are rolled back quickly and the loading or unloading operations can go on in the usual manner. Working of the barges may continue up to within a few minutes before quitting time or lunch hour. Valuable working time, in other words, is not lost in making ready or in replacing hatch covers.

Further advantages and other objects: of the invention will be more fully set forth in a description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a barge, fragmentarily showing movable roof sections constructed ent invention with the roof closed, showing the relationship between the movable roof sections and the endwise permanentroof section. f

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the roof open for entrance into the central area of the barge deckhouse. 4

Figure 4 is a transverse section through a barge of the present invention, taken on line 4- -4, of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation showing movable roof sections of the deckhouse of the barge in abutment, the joint covers at the abutment juncture at the lefthand side of the figure shown in raised position, preparatory to separation of the adjacent roof sections.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5 and shows an abutment face of a movable roof section in elevation.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan view at the juncture between roof sections, and fragmentarily shows the structure at the sides of the roof sections which provides weather-proofing.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on line 8-8 of Figure 7 in side elevation, showing the roof carriage track relation.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken as on line ill-l of Figure 2, showing a barge provided with a shiftable deckhouse floor of the present invention.

Figure 11 diagrammatically illustrates the relationship of shifted roof and floor sections of a barge, preparatory to or during loading or unloading of freight at the hold of the barge.

Figure 12 is a cross sectional view taken on the line l2-i2 of Figure 2 and shows the preferred structure for sealing the endwise movable roof sections against the weather.

Figure 13 illustrates the preferred floor carriage construction in cross section, the view being taken on line l3--l3 of Figure 10.

Figure 14 is a sectional view taken on the line l4-I4 of Figure 13.

Referring to the drawings, the barges of the present invention comprise a hull indicated generally at I, which is made 111), preferably, of sides 2, a bottom membrane 3 and end elements 4. The hulls preferably are elongated longitudinally to a length appreciably greater than the width. Bulkheads are provided in the hull l by the bulkhead elements and the floor plating 6, in the conventional manner, as shown in Figure 4, the interior of the hull constituting a hold indicated generally at 1. The hull l, at the upper extremity of the bulkhead elements 4 and the side elements 2 is decked as at 8.

A deckhouse, indicated generally at 9, is built over the hold 1, marginally intermediate the sides of the hull I preferably, so as to provide outside and inside gangways along the deck 8 in the manner indicated in Figure 4. The deckhouse comprises side walls Ill-40, ends i l-l I, and a roof structure as hereinafter more fully described. The whole structure ordinarily is built of steel, in sheets and appropriate structural shapes, with the deckhouse ends spaced inwardly from the longitudinal ends of the hull to provide working platforms.

Adjacent one, and preferably both ends II, the deckhouse is housed with permanent roof sections I 2, which are accessible from the deck 8 by means of ladders l3. The deckhouse is accessible from the gangways 8 through one or a series of doors l4. Intermediate the permanent deckhouse roofs II, a succession of transverse roof sections II are provided.

Each of the roof sections l6 comprises a transverse roof membrane l6, with the roof membrane slightly overhangingthe sides iii of the deckhouse. The roof sectionsare stiffened transably at the overhang beyond the sides of the deckhouse and between the flanges i6l3, comprising the pairs at the sides of the roof section ll, roller wheels l6 rotatively engaged over axles 26, rigidly carried between the flanges l.6l6

comprising the pairs-respectively areprovided,

one set of wheels for each side of the roof fo rwardly and rearwardly.

At'the upper extremities of the side walls il'-|6 respectively of the deckhouse, stiffening channels 2I2| are mounted to extend the lengths of the deckhouse walls. Channels 22-22, one for each side, are sealed to the channels 2i2i to project outwardly therefrom, intermediate the webbed 'widths thereof. The latter channels 22 preferably are disposed so that the web'faces lie in a plane substantially horizontal, with the flanges ofthe channels depending down-' wardly. The channels 22 preferably are mounted to the channels 21 with the web faces of the former substantially intermediate the web faces of the latter, in the manner illustrated in Figure 8. Rails 23 -23 are mounted on the chan-' nels 22-22, one for each side respectively, to en gage and carry the roller wheels ill of the roof sections II in the manner shown, the roller wheels l6 preferably being grooved to maintain trackage thereover.

In the construction, the elements just described are related in dimensions and position so that the elements depending from the roof membranes of the cars are free to clear'the permanent'roof sections l2 at the barge ends and permit movement thereover. Weather shields 2B are mounted at the exterior faces respectively of the channels 22, with the upper faces of the weather shields extending above the depending extremities of the outer side flanges 16 of the roof, whereby rain water is trapped and precluded from gaining entrance into the deckhouse i or the cargo therein.

The roof sections l5, at the successive meeting faces, are provided with abutment elements 26-26, preferably of Z-bar shape, respectively mounted upon the meeting webs I! in complementary relation. Normally, during transit, the roof sections are pushed together, with corresponding elements 26 in contact. Trough elements 21 are mounted beneath the 'Z-bar elements 26 on the meeting webs ll of successive roof sections. These preferably are peaked centrally of the width of the roof section and slope downwardly toward the sides thereof to facilitate the drainage of water entrapped in the troughs.

Sealing plates 23 are hinged to the top membranes l6 of the succession ofroof cars at the transverse sides therecfto provide weatherproof covering over the Junctures between the cars when they are moved into abutment. Each se'aling plate 26 is split centrally of the width of the cars and is thus comprised of two sections respectively, to accommodate the sideward slopes of the roof membrane 16 with the sealing plates respectively hinged to the cars by means of the hinger 26.

Alternate roof sections, if desired, may carry the sealing plates for the iunctures-at the sides thereof, in the manner shown in Figure 2, or each roof car may carry one sealing plate for sealing the juncture atone side of the car, while'the juncture at the other side of the car will be sealed with the plate carried on the car adjacent that side. C'over plates 26 are provided to cover the peaked Joint at which the sections comprising a sealing plate are spread. These are secured re-. spectively to one orthe other of the seal plate sections. Channels 30, having downwardly depending flanges, are mounted centrally on re- .spective sealingplates 26 to embrace the upwardly extendingabutment flanges of the Z-bars 26, when the sealing plates are moved into closed position. Weatherstrips 3| are disposed on the roof membranes II to lay adjacent the edges of the sealing strips opposite the hinged edges, when the sealing strips are in closed position, so that.

a Substantially weatherproof construction is provi ed. 4

Complementary plate elements 32 and 33 are secured to the outside flanges I6, at the corners respectively of the roof cars IS, with the plate elements shaped for telescoping relation to facilitate ,weatherprooflng' at the junctures between the cars at the sides thereof. The plate elements 33. mounted at the sides of one car, preferably are bent inwardly to be received within the plate elements 32 mounted at. the sides of the car adjacent thereto, when the cars are pushed into abutment. Vertical sealing strips 34 are mounted on the bent plates to lay in sealing relation with respect to the extremities of the plates 32 when the cars are together.

To prevent the cars from tending to move while a barge is en route, positioning pins 34, removably engagement with one of a series of holes provided'in the upper face 26 of the weather shield 24, above which the bracket 35, carrying the pin 34, is located.

' I The extreme endwise car or cars of the succession, transversely at the depending extremities of the webs H, are provided with lip angles 36 which face inwardly. A complementary lip angle 31 is provided at each inward extremity of each permanent roof i2, to face outwardly and above the lip of each angle 36 and receive the same in abutment. This structure prevents rain from entering'the' deckhouse at the endwise cars. It likewise prevents the endwise cars from rollinglongitudinally beyond their normal position toward the central portion of the deckhouse. Of course, if great shiftability is desired, the lip angle 31 may be removably mounted.

To'illustrate the operation of barges of the present invention it may be supposed that freight for three different points of destination is loaded into the barge. To gain access to one of the consignments in the'barge at its point of destination the sealing strip covering the 1unc-.

the ordinary terminal point with barges of the conventional type and with an average size freight consignment is saved.

The higher grades of freight packed in boxes and in some cases, in bags may not be stacked too high without undue precaution. If pasteboard boxes containing freight are stacked one on top of the other to a height much in excess of 8 to 10 feet, the load on the lowermost box crushes and is likely to cause damage to the contents thereof. Moreover, when the stacks are too high, there is the tendency for them to topple over and likewise to cause damage or injury. In the barges of the present invention, a freight floor, indicated generally at 38, is provided intermediate the hold I in the hull and the enclosure within the deckhouse 9. This floor comprises successive sections, preferably alternately liftable and longitudinally rollable. g

The rollable sections of the floor are analogous in structure to the roof sections l of the deckhouse. Each rollable section comprises a floor membrane 39 flanged downwardly at the transyerse extremities to include flanges 40, the floor sections being stiffened structurally by means of transverse channels and drop webs 42. Flange elements 43, one for each side of e .ch roller car 38, are provided inwardly from the flanges 40 for carrying wheel axles 44 therebetween at the corners of the cars. Roller wheels 45, grooved at their peripheries, are mounted preferably on rollerbearings 46 over the respective axles 44. Plates 4'! connect the.depending extremities of the inner flanges 43 and are provided to strengthen the cars appropriately with respect to the freight loadings to which the car sections are subjected during use. The wheels 45 of the cars 38 are tracked on rails 48-48, one for each side, the rails being supported from rail shelves 49 mounted respectively on the bulkhead elements 5 of the hull of the barge, and supported at the extremities adjacent the rails by the bracing element 50.

' the deck 8 of the hull, within the deckhouse 8 The floor cars 38 are dimensioned in width to extend substantially completely across the whole of .the aperture at the hold with appropriate clearances at either side to permit a free movement of the cars longitudinally of the hold on the rails 48. Floor support angles 5| are mounted on the transverse stiffeners 4| to extend outwardly therefrom, and carry liftable floor sections 52 intermediate the cars to complete the flooring in the deckhouse. The angles 5| are positioned on the floor cars so that the lift floor surface is flush with the floor membranes of the floor cars.

In the preferred construction the lift floor sections preferably comprise pieces of ordinary planking, cut to length to extend between the floor cars when the cars are in the normal spaced position. Angles 53-53 are mounted on bulkhead elements 54-54 at each end of the hold of the barge to support the left floor 52 between the extreme floor cars and the fixed decking 8, and

is built up in the manner shown in Figure 4, by means of superficial or structural decking 56, to provide flush flooring, part movable and part sta-' tionary, over the entire width and length of the deckhouse. The floor car sections may be provided with conventional pin locking means for positively positioning the floor cars at intended positions so as to preclude their movement longitudinally if the barge tends.to tilt because of unequal loading.

It will be seen that the hold within the deckhouse is floored over substantially, entirely, except for the decks at the sides, by means of cars 38 and the lift floor sections 52. Consignments of cargo, destined to the remote terminals en route, are loaded into the'hold, whereas the consignments to be carried only short distances are loaded into the deckhouse, in accordance with the conveniences and exigencies of the nature of the consignment, the distances of shipment, the quantities being handled and the necessity of complete protection from weather. When the freight in the deckhouse disposed over a particular consignment located in the hold is unloaded, the lift sections of flooring are removed from their positions, placed upon the floor cars, either at one side or the other, and the floor cars then are shifted about to suit the convenience for loading or unloading. After access to the hold 1 has been provided, multiple handling of many unit barges is obviated, and the extreme flexbbility necessitated by the nature of the cargo being handled is accomplished.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a barge of the class described, comprising a hull and walls upon the hull forming a deckhouse, the opposite side walls of the deckhouse respectively having a longitudinally channeled outwardly extending coaming providing a rail for translatable roof sections for the deckhouse, a plurality of successive roof sections collectively forming a smooth load sustainable roof and having their relatively opposite ends overlapping the relative coaming rails and translatably supported thereon, and wheels journaled and encased within the extremities of said sections tracking upon said coaming rails.

2. In a barge of the class described, comprising a hull and walls upon the hull forming a deckhouse, the opposite side walls of the deckhouse respectively having a longitudinally channeled outwardly extending coaming providing rails for translatable roof sections for the deckhouse, a plurality of successive roof sections collectively forming a smooth roof over the deckhouse for sustaining a load, the successive roof sections having their relatively opposite ends overlapping the relative coaming rails and translatably supported thereon, and having wheels journaled in their extremities tracking upon said coaming rails with the successive roof sections carrying a complementary means at their meeting faces for preventing the" entry ofwater from the roof into the deckhouse. l

3. A barge comprising a hull, a deck closure for said hull comprising upwardly extending longitudinal walls, gangways formed by the hull at the inner and outer relative opposite sides of each of the longitudinal walls'of said deck closure, tramways one upon the inner end of each of the inner gangways, a plurality of trams spanning the longitudinal walls of the hull having wheel supports on said tramways for translating the same, the trams providing a partial closure and deck for the hull, removable planking interveningly supported upon adjoining trams and therewith providing a complete closure and deck for the hull, the opposite side walls of the deck closure respectively having a longitudinally channeled outwardly extending coaming providing rails for translatable roof sections for the deck closure, a plurality of successive roof sections having their relatively opposite ends overlapping the relative coaming rails and translatably supported thereon, and having wheels journaled,

' aromas iii: extremities tracking up n said coming 4. A large comprising a hull, a deckhouse formed of longitudinal walls and end walls mounted upon said hull, gangways formed by the hull at the inner and outer relative opposite sides of each or the longitudinal walls 01' said deckhouse, tramways one upon the inner end 01' each of the inner gangways, a plurality of trams spanning the hull each of the trams having wheel supports on said tramways for translating same, the trams providing a partial closure and deck (or the wall, removable planking interveningly supported upon adjoining trams and therewith providing a complete closure and deck i'or the hull, the opposite longitudinal walls oi the deck closure respectively having a longitudinally channeled outwardly extending coaming providing rails for translatable roof sections for the deck closure, a. plurality of successive roof sections having their relatively opposite ends overlapping the relative coaming rails and translatably supported thereon.

5. A barge comprising a hull, a deckhouse walls, a plurality of formed of longitudinal walls and ends, upon said hull. and having permanent root portions partially roofing the deckhouse at opposite longitudinal ends thereof, coaming providing railslocated upon the longitudinal walls of the deckhouse intermediate the permanent roofs thereof and adjacent the upper edges of the longitudinal translatable rooi. sections carrying wheels engaging the said rails and spanning the deck house, the roof sections having their opposite ends overlapping the coaming rails and carrying complementary means at theirmeeting faces for preventing the entry of water into the deckhouse, the plurality of successive roof sections forming a flat load sustaining root for the deckhouse, and the longitudinal coaming rails being extended along the deckhouse walls adjacent the permanent roof portions at the ends, so that the successive root sections may be wheeled over the permanent roots for providing root entry into selective portions of the deckhouse.

HARRY C. EELIOTI. 

